


Return to the Beach

by epersonae



Series: Aftermath [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Forgiveness, Gen, Implied Davenchurch maybe, Post-Canon, beach dwarves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-12-04 09:09:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11552040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epersonae/pseuds/epersonae
Summary: Lucretia accepts an invitation. Mavis makes a few observations, and also a sandcastle. Merle lives his truth.





	Return to the Beach

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anonymousAlchemist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymousAlchemist/gifts).



> Iz, [your wish is my command](http://anonymousalchemist.tumblr.com/post/163171982372/where-is-my-merle-and-lucretia-fic-where-they-talk).
> 
> The conversation with Mavis references the events of [The last day at the beach](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11390880); kiddo saved against Lucretia's casting of Disguise Self.

A young dwarf girl stood in the doorway. “Are you ready to go, ma’am? I think Merle’s kind of impatient to get going.”

At the same time, from out front -- “Mavis, honey, tell Lucretia to get a move on!”

Lucretia allowed herself a small smile and picked up her bag: a novel, a towel, a hat, a flask of water, and a bag of gorpp. Everything for a day at the beach. She shut and wizard-locked the front door, then followed Mavis to a cart parked on the narrow lane. Merle sat up front, holding the reins of a fat pony with placid eyes. He patted the seat beside him.

“C’mon up, little lady. You don’t want to sit with the kiddos in the back. Come up here and keep ol’ Merle company.”

“I’ll take your bag,” said Mavis, “and make sure Mookie doesn’t get into it.”

At that, the dwarf boy’s head poked out of the wagon.

“Hi lady! Dad says you need to get out of the fucking house. Did you bring me a treat? Will you help me build a sandcastle?”

Mavis glared at her half-brother and Merle shouted, “Mookie!”

“You can have some of my gorpp,” said Lucretia. “And we’ll see about that sandcastle when we get there.”

“Ah, don’t encourage him,” said Merle as she got up onto the bench. Behind them, she could hear Mavis chastising and Mookie whining. Merle banged on the side of the wagon with his wooden fist.

“You two simmer down or I’ll drop you in the woods and let the bears eat you and then me and Lucretia’ll enjoy the beach by ourselves.” The din in the back subsided as he flicked the reins and they got on their way.

* * *

“I appreciate the invitation,” Lucretia said, trying to maintain a dignified pose in the dwarf-sized wagon, her knees folded nearly to her chest. “I appreciate you thinking of me...letting me intrude on your family time….”

Merle snorted.

“It’s no intrusion. I just realized, the last time I took ‘em back to their mom’s, that your place was on the way. Thought you could stand to get out.”

“I suppose so.”

“Hmmm.” He gave her a sidelong glance. “You don’t go out much these days, do you?” She made a noncommittal noise. “And I’m gonna say you don’t have a lot of visitors.”

“Carey and Killian came over for tea...a little while ago?”

“That was six weeks ago,” he said.

“That long?” She stared off into the trees, unable or unwilling to meet his look.

“Yup. It’s not good for you to isolate yourself, Lucretia.”

“I don’t know how to talk to anyone anymore, Merle.”

He patted her knee awkwardly.

“Don’t have to talk if you don’t want to,” he said.

She put her hand on top of his, feeling the warmth of the gnarled soulwood, and let out the faintest sigh.

* * *

While Merle swam with Mookie, Mavis and Lucretia sat side by side reading, both in big hats that shaded their faces. Eventually, Mavis tilted her head and looked at Lucretia with a small frown.

“You came to our house once,” she said finally. “That day, the day Merle left?”

“Yes. It was...it was a coincidence? I used to check in on him, sometimes, back when…”

“And you did magic on Mom.”

Lucretia couldn’t think of anything to say to that.

“I think it was good for her to talk to somebody,” said Mavis. “She didn’t have a lot of folks to talk to. She was just mad all the time.” Mavis stared out at the sea. “She’s a lot better now, I think.”

“I’m glad,” said Lucretia.

“Merle’s friend? Mr. Davenport? He says….” She looked back at Lucretia again, her brows pulled together, and she fiddled with the wisps of her beard.

“I imagine Mr. Davenport doesn’t like me very much,” she said.

“He said you didn’t have the right...you know, to do stuff to them. I think he’s mad that Merle invited you.”

“He’s probably right.”

She shrugged.

“I dunno. Merle said you had your reasons.”

Lucretia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. For a brief moment, she could hear the siren voice of the staff in her mind.

“That’s very generous of him,” she said.

“He’s a lot better now, too,” said Mavis. “He’s really different, I mean, he’s the same, but better I guess, and like everybody…. All the grownups I know are kinda different nowadays?”

“We’re all a little different now, Mavis. And I’m sorry about...well, what I did to Merle and Mr. Davenport.”

“You should tell _them_ that, then.”

“You’re a wise little girl, Mavis.”

She shrugged.

“Imma go for a swim. You coming with?”

“I think I’ll stay here.”

* * *

Merle lay back on his towel looking up at the clouds; Lucretia still had her book open, but maybe an hour had passed since she’d last turned the page. She was watching the waves, and on the shore, Mavis trying to help Mookie build a sandcastle. While Mavis was meticulously building up towers, Mookie mostly just ran around in circles, occasionally zooming in with his arms as if he were a dragon attacking.

“They’re good kids, Merle,” she said.

“Well, that’s mostly on Hecuba. I was a pretty lousy dad most of the time. And then, you know, I just took off. So she did a good job with ‘em.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“That’s actually not at all true,” she said, slamming her book shut. “What I did, to you, to all of you...I can’t believe you would’ve walked out on your family if you’d been yourself.”

“Lucretia, honey.” He chuckled. “Oh, Lucretia, I wouldn’t’ve had kids at all if you hadn’t dumped me on the beach. You think we would’ve just up and moved to the surface while those relics were out there?” A long sigh. “I’ve been remembering the nightmares I used to have. Those islands that drowned? Used to see that every night when I fell asleep.”

“But Merle--”

“Nope, no buts. What you did, that was a damn fool thing, I’m not saying it wasn’t. I’ve...well, let’s just say I’ve had a few late night _chats_ about it.”

“Davenport.”

“He and Taako are something when they’re in their cups, that’s for sure.”

She winced.

“But these kids? And what Magnus had with that Julia gal? There was some good, there _is_ some good in all of it. And me leaving Hecuba? I gotta accept that as Merle bein’ Merle, voidfish or no voidfish. You don’t get to claim all our dumb choices because of your dumb choice.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

He shrugged, an odd gesture given that he was still staring up at the sky.

“Not my intent to make you feel better or not. Just tryin’ to live my truth, mostly.”

* * *

“More gorpp!” shouted Mookie, running up the beach to Lucretia.

“Hey kid, what do we say?” said Merle, moving to prop himself up on his elbows, giving the boy a faux-stern glare.

“More gorpp please Miss Lucretia?”

“Atta boy.”

She gave him a handful and he ate it all at once, bits of nuts and grain flying in all directions.

Merle said, “Eat with your mouth closed, champ.”

With his mouth still mostly full, Mookie said, “Thank you Miss Lucretia.”

“You’re welcome, Mookie,” she said.

He gulped down the last of it noisily.

“Come onnnnn, let’s go play in the water.” With one hand still dirty from sand and salt water and gorpp, he grabbed her hand.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, but the boy gripped her even tighter, trying to pull her up from her towel.

“Go get in the water, little lady,” said Merle. “When’s the last time you went in the ocean?”

She shook her head very slightly.

“You used to love it on that beach planet. Remember that?”

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

“Merle.”

“Get outta here, take the boy for a swim before he explodes. That book’ll be here when you get back. Not like you were reading it anyway.”

So she let Mookie pull her up to her feet, and she trotted with him down to the water. He squealed as the waves hit his calves. She picked him up and swung him around and around until she was dizzy and he was shrieking with joy. She set him down and staggered backwards, sitting down abruptly in the wet sand. Mookie ran up to her and hugged her hard.

“Do it again!”

She laughed, then looked back up the beach: Mavis was smoothing a tower of her sandcastle, and Merle was still up on his elbows, watching her and Mookie. He was smiling, and he gave her a slight nod.

“Ok, one more time.” And she ran with Mookie further out into the water, lifting him up and twirling him around. They were both laughing as the waves broke around them.


End file.
